LETRSLanguage Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling LETRS provides deep foundational knowledge to teachers which enables them to understand how students learn to read, write and spell. Teachers gain an understanding of language structure which allows them to make instructional decisions about their core programs and programs for students who struggle. LETRS is NOT a reading program! It is designed to arm teachers with knowledge to design instruction leading to achievement and to ask better questions when students struggle.
There are 12 core modules in this professional development series. Each module consists of a minimum of one full day of training. Participants receive a book for each module (there is a charge for the books) as an aid to the workshop and as a resource to support application to instruction. To schedule training for a school or district, contact Lori Hood lhood@caiu.org 717-732-8426.
Module 1:(all grades)
The Challenge of Learning to Read Explains how children learn to read and explores the reasons why many students have reading difficulties.Content includes: the progression of reading development; the influences of biological, genetic, cognitive, environmental and instructional factors in learning to read; and the components of effective reading instruction. A “four-part processing system” model is explored in detail.
Module 2:(all grades)
The Speech Sounds of English: Phonetics, Phonology, and Phoneme Awareness Introduces phonemes and discusses the importance of phonological awareness in reading and spelling instruction. Discusses the features of consonants and vowels and covers some of the problems that children who speak other languages or dialects may have when learning English.
Module 3:(all grades)
Spellography for Teachers: How English Spelling Works Explores the structure and history of English spelling from several angles: phoneme-grapheme correspondences, letter patterns within words, syllables, meaningful word parts (morphemes), and historical layers in the orthography. Included: differences between syllables and morphemes; differences between “irregular” and “high frequency” words; differences among six syllable types.
Module 4:(all grades)
The Mighty Word: Building Vocabulary and Oral Language Addresses varied approaches to instruction including indirect (contextual) and direct methodologies, stressing techniques for fostering word use, knowledge of word relationships, awareness of word structure and its connection to meaning.
Module 5:(all grades)
Getting Up to Speed: Developing Fluency Includes deliberate fluency-building at subword, word, phrase, and text levels for those students who are too slow. Reviews the rationale for a fluency component in lesson design. Learn and Practice: techniques for speed drills, repeated readings, simultaneous and alternate oral reading, calculating reading fluency and charting the results of exercises.
Module 6:(all grades)
Digging for Meaning: Teaching Text Comprehension Addresses the research base for teaching comprehension, reasons why children have difficulty with comprehension, and approaches for teaching comprehension at the phrase, sentence, paragraph, and passage levels. Questioning techniques and strategies useful before, during and after reading are reviewed. Practice analyzing text for instructional planning is included.
Module 7:(grades K-2 & remedial)
Teaching Phonics, Word Study and the Alphabetic Principle Emphasizes the sequence and substance of concept development in code-based instruction including the importance of applying learned skills to reading and writing. Answers to common questions are provided, including “How Much Phonics?”, “Who Needs Phonics?”, “What Kind of Phonics?”, and “Why Phonics?”.
Module 8:(grades K-3)
Assessment for Prevention and Early Intervention Distinguishes screening and progress monitoring assessments from diagnostic and outcome assessment. The rationale for early screening with fluency-based measures is reviewed. DIBELS® is used as the example of a valid, reliable, efficient approach to early screening. A developmental spelling inventory is taught. Exercises include review of classroom reports and individual case studies in light of children's instructional needs and the “three-tier” concept of intervention.
Module 9:(grades K-2 & remedial)
Teaching Beginning Spelling and Writing Addresses writing instruction for children in grades K-2 who need to be taught the component skills that underlie composition. A framework for analyzing writing samples is applied to several examples of students at different levels of achievement. Instruction that builds automaticity in critical components while teaching children the stages of the writing process is explained and modeled.
Module 10:(grades3 to adult)
Reading Big Words: Syllabication and Advanced Decoding Addresses the instructional needs of students who are inaccurate and/or slow in reading and spelling multisyllabic words. Begins with phoneme-grapheme mapping and on to address systematic teaching of syllabication, syllable spelling types, and ending rules. Morphology - including inflections, Anglo Saxon compounds, Latin and Greek roots and affixes, and derivational word learning processes - is addressed in some depth. An Advanced Decoding Survey is included with this module along with lists of instructional resources and programs.
Module 11:(grades3 to adult)
Writing: A Road to Reading Comprehension Presents a few major strategies that help students process and remember the main ideas in written text. Reviews the many causes of reading comprehension difficulties and addresses the research consensus on teaching reading comprehension. Text structure and its relation to comprehension are explored, and participants learn to implement the Key Three Routine, to include construction of topic organizers, note-taking, and summarizing. A list of effective curriculum materials for teaching older students to read and write is included.
Module 12:(grades3 to adult)
Using Assessments to Guide Instruction Advanced module for intermediate and middle school educators to help identify and pinpoint the instructional needs of struggling readers. Describes efficient, reliable, and research-based assessment strategies that enable teachers to focus on the effectiveness of instruction. A strategic plan for screening students and ways to assemble a group of suitable assessments for individual and classroom use are reviewed. Diagnostic tests that measure decoding and word analysis, spelling, written composition, reading fluency, and comprehension are demonstrated and rehearsed with discussion and analysis of assessment results and their implications.
LETRS provides deep foundational knowledge to teachers which enables them to understand how students learn to read, write and spell. Teachers gain an understanding of language structure which allows them to make instructional decisions about their core programs and programs for students who struggle. LETRS is NOT a reading program! It is designed to arm teachers with knowledge to design instruction leading to achievement and to ask better questions when students struggle.
There are 12 core modules in this professional development series. Each module consists of a minimum of one full day of training. Participants receive a book for each module (there is a charge for the books) as an aid to the workshop and as a resource to support application to instruction.
To schedule training for a school or district, contact Lori Hood lhood@caiu.org 717-732-8426.
Explains how children learn to read and explores the reasons why many students have reading difficulties. Content includes: the progression of reading development; the influences of biological, genetic, cognitive, environmental and instructional factors in learning to read; and the components of effective reading instruction. A “four-part processing system” model is explored in detail.
Introduces phonemes and discusses the importance of phonological awareness in reading and spelling instruction. Discusses the features of consonants and vowels and covers some of the problems that children who speak other languages or dialects may have when learning English.
Explores the structure and history of English spelling from several angles: phoneme-grapheme correspondences, letter patterns within words, syllables, meaningful word parts (morphemes), and historical layers in the orthography.
Included: differences between syllables and morphemes; differences between “irregular” and “high frequency” words; differences among six syllable types.
Addresses varied approaches to instruction including indirect (contextual) and direct methodologies, stressing techniques for fostering word use, knowledge of word relationships, awareness of word structure and its connection to meaning.
Includes deliberate fluency-building at subword, word, phrase, and text levels for those students who are too slow. Reviews the rationale for a fluency component in lesson design.
Learn and Practice: techniques for speed drills, repeated readings, simultaneous and alternate oral reading, calculating reading fluency and charting the results of exercises.
Addresses the research base for teaching comprehension, reasons why children have difficulty with comprehension, and approaches for teaching comprehension at the phrase, sentence, paragraph, and passage levels. Questioning techniques and strategies useful before, during and after reading are reviewed. Practice analyzing text for instructional planning is included.
Emphasizes the sequence and substance of concept development in code-based instruction including the importance of applying learned skills to reading and writing. Answers to common questions are provided, including “How Much Phonics?”, “Who Needs Phonics?”, “What Kind of Phonics?”, and “Why Phonics?”.
Distinguishes screening and progress monitoring assessments from diagnostic and outcome assessment. The rationale for early screening with fluency-based measures is reviewed. DIBELS® is used as the example of a valid, reliable, efficient approach to early screening. A developmental spelling inventory is taught. Exercises include review of classroom reports and individual case studies in light of children's instructional needs and the “three-tier” concept of intervention.
Addresses writing instruction for children in grades K-2 who need to be taught the component skills that underlie composition. A framework for analyzing writing samples is applied to several examples of students at different levels of achievement. Instruction that builds automaticity in critical components while teaching children the stages of the writing process is explained and modeled.
Addresses the instructional needs of students who are inaccurate and/or slow in reading and spelling multisyllabic words. Begins with phoneme-grapheme mapping and on to address systematic teaching of syllabication, syllable spelling types, and ending rules. Morphology - including inflections, Anglo Saxon compounds, Latin and Greek roots and affixes, and derivational word learning processes - is addressed in some depth. An Advanced Decoding Survey is included with this module along with lists of instructional resources and programs.
Presents a few major strategies that help students process and remember the main ideas in written text. Reviews the many causes of reading comprehension difficulties and addresses the research consensus on teaching reading comprehension. Text structure and its relation to comprehension are explored, and participants learn to implement the Key Three Routine, to include construction of topic organizers, note-taking, and summarizing. A list of effective curriculum materials for teaching older students to read and write is included.
Advanced module for intermediate and middle school educators to help identify and pinpoint the instructional needs of struggling readers. Describes efficient, reliable, and research-based assessment strategies that enable teachers to focus on the effectiveness of instruction. A strategic plan for screening students and ways to assemble a group of suitable assessments for individual and classroom use are reviewed. Diagnostic tests that measure decoding and word analysis, spelling, written composition, reading fluency, and comprehension are demonstrated and rehearsed with discussion and analysis of assessment results and their implications.